Ecolab (ECL) Return on Capital Employed (2009 - 2025)
Ecolab posted quarterly Return on Capital Employed of 14.59% for Q4 2025, down 147.0% year-on-year from 31.04% in Q4 2024, and up 9.8% on a QoQ basis from 13.29% in Q3 2025.
Ecolab (ECL) has 17 years of Return on Capital Employed data on file, last reported at 14.59% in Q4 2025.
- For the quarter ending Q4 2025, Return on Capital Employed fell 147.0% year-over-year to 14.59%; the trailing twelve-month figure through Dec 2025 stood at 14.59% (down 147.0% YoY), and the FY2025 full-year result was 15.2%, down 97.0% from the prior year.
- Return on Capital Employed for Q4 2025 stood at 14.59%, up from 13.29% in the prior quarter.
- Across five years, Return on Capital Employed topped out at 16.46% in Q3 2024 and bottomed at 8.6% in Q1 2021.
- The 5-year median for Return on Capital Employed is 10.59% (2023), against an average of 11.74%.
- The widest annual swing landed in 2024, when Return on Capital Employed surged 589 bps; it then sank 317 bps in 2025.
- A 5-year view of Return on Capital Employed shows it stood at 9.98% in 2021, then decreased by 8 bps to 9.17% in 2022, then gained by 24 bps to 11.38% in 2023, then jumped by 41 bps to 16.06% in 2024, then dropped by 9 bps to 14.59% in 2025.
- The last three Return on Capital Employed figures came in at 14.59% (Q4 2025), 13.29% (Q3 2025), and 15.95% (Q2 2025), per Business Quant data.
Peer Comparison
| # | Company | Market Cap | Enterprise Value | Gross Profit (Qtr) | ROCE (Qtr) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Linde | 230.79 Bn | 226.84 Bn | 4.26 Bn | 12.89% |
| 2 | Chemical & Mining Co Of Chile | 127.66 Bn | 124.93 Bn | 778.60 Mn | - |
| 3 | Sherwin Williams | 72.51 Bn | 72.30 Bn | 2.78 Bn | 20.78% |
| 4 | Ecolab | 70.96 Bn | 70.34 Bn | 1.85 Bn | 14.59% |
| 5 | Air Products & Chemicals | 62.15 Bn | 63.70 Bn | 987.40 Mn | 6.05% |
| 6 | Ppg Industries | 25.04 Bn | 23.57 Bn | 1.66 Bn | 13.59% |
| 7 | LyondellBasell Industries | 21.62 Bn | 21.73 Bn | 701.00 Mn | -1.10% |
| 8 | Albemarle | 20.26 Bn | 19.42 Bn | 500.97 Mn | 6.09% |
| 9 | DuPont de Nemours | 19.45 Bn | 19.56 Bn | 602.00 Mn | 7.03% |
| 10 | International Flavors & Fragrances | 19.02 Bn | 18.49 Bn | 1.02 Bn | 3.66% |
Historic Data
Download Data| Date | Value |
|---|---|
| Dec 31, 2025 | 14.59% |
| Sep 30, 2025 | 13.29% |
| Jun 30, 2025 | 15.95% |
| Mar 31, 2025 | 15.98% |
| Dec 31, 2024 | 16.06% |
| Sep 30, 2024 | 16.46% |
| Jun 30, 2024 | 13.29% |
| Mar 31, 2024 | 12.08% |
| Dec 31, 2023 | 11.38% |
| Sep 30, 2023 | 10.56% |
| Jun 30, 2023 | 10.18% |
| Mar 31, 2023 | 9.84% |
| Dec 31, 2022 | 9.17% |
| Sep 30, 2022 | 8.95% |
| Jun 30, 2022 | 8.86% |
| Mar 31, 2022 | 8.89% |
| Dec 31, 2021 | 9.98% |
| Sep 30, 2021 | 10.61% |
| Jun 30, 2021 | 10.15% |
| Mar 31, 2021 | 8.60% |
| Dec 31, 2020 | 9.19% |
| Sep 30, 2020 | 10.00% |
| Jun 30, 2020 | 9.63% |
| Mar 31, 2020 | 11.00% |
| Dec 31, 2019 | 10.71% |
| Sep 30, 2019 | 11.29% |
| Jun 30, 2019 | 11.20% |
| Mar 31, 2019 | 11.66% |
| Dec 31, 2018 | 11.92% |
| Sep 30, 2018 | 12.06% |
| Jun 30, 2018 | 12.30% |
| Mar 31, 2018 | 12.10% |
| Dec 31, 2017 | 11.87% |
| Sep 30, 2017 | 11.91% |
| Jun 30, 2017 | 12.67% |
| Mar 31, 2017 | 13.04% |
| Dec 31, 2016 | 12.49% |
| Sep 30, 2016 | 11.90% |
| Jun 30, 2016 | 10.82% |
| Mar 31, 2016 | 10.78% |
| Dec 31, 2015 | 11.15% |
| Sep 30, 2015 | 11.35% |
| Jun 30, 2015 | 12.97% |
| Mar 31, 2015 | 13.09% |
| Dec 31, 2014 | 12.87% |
| Sep 30, 2014 | 12.54% |
| Jun 30, 2014 | 11.58% |
| Mar 31, 2014 | 10.51% |
| Dec 31, 2013 | 9.67% |
| Sep 30, 2013 | 9.04% |
| Jun 30, 2013 | 9.26% |
| Mar 31, 2013 | 9.39% |
| Dec 31, 2012 | 9.15% |
| Sep 30, 2012 | 6.59% |
| Jun 30, 2012 | 5.64% |
| Mar 31, 2012 | 4.41% |
| Dec 31, 2011 | 6.95% |
| Sep 30, 2011 | 20.66% |
| Jun 30, 2011 | 21.61% |
| Mar 31, 2011 | 23.55% |
| Dec 31, 2010 | 22.78% |
| Sep 30, 2010 | 24.04% |
| Jun 30, 2010 | 23.01% |
| Mar 31, 2010 | 20.92% |
| Dec 31, 2009 | 18.15% |
| Sep 30, 2009 | 17.07% |